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Why Fish Here
Palisade is the rare fishing water where the rest of the family has somewhere to be. The state park wrapped around it has an 18-hole golf course, RV and tent camping, and hiking, with OHV riding in nearby Six Mile Canyon. On the water it is paddle-and-troll only, which keeps the surface calm enough that a bobber sitting off the beach actually stays put. Tigers and rainbows both come in close at dusk.
How To Fish It
Best rigs: Bobber + worm from the beach; fly-and-bubble evenings
Bait and lures: Worms, PowerBait, spoons
Best time: Evening. Season: April-November
Local tip: No gas motors = peaceful family water at the state park.
Species Playbook
Tiger Trout
Rig: Casting spoons or worm on slip-sinker
Bait: Jake's Spin-a-lure, Kastmaster, nightcrawlers
When: Early morning; excellent through the ice
Brown × brook hybrid - mean, striped, and hard-fighting.
Rainbow Trout
Rig: Slip-bobber or sliding sinker rig, 4 lb mono line, size 8-10 baitholder
Bait: PowerBait (rainbow/garlic), nightcrawler, small spinners (Panther Martin, Jake's)
When: Early morning & last 2 hours before dark
Utah's #1 fish. If a pond got stocked this week, cast anything shiny. Perfect first fish for kids.
Getting There + Nearby
Nearby adventures: Palisade State Park (State Park, 0 mi) · Joes Valley Campground (Camping, 21 mi) · Joes Valley Reservoir (Fishing, 21 mi) · Yuba Reservoir (Fishing, 22 mi)
Quick Answers
- What fish are in Palisade Reservoir?
- Tiger Trout, Rainbow Trout.
- What is the best bait at Palisade Reservoir?
- Worms, PowerBait, spoons
- When is the best time to fish Palisade Reservoir?
- Evening. Season: April-November.
- Why fish Palisade Reservoir?
- It is easy water with a long season. Palisade opens up by April and fishes into November, low enough in elevation to beat the mountain reservoirs at both ends of the year, and the no-gas-motor rule means you are not sharing a small lake with ski boats.